Come back to me
by iris0011
Summary: Ichihime one-shoot. Going back to where it all began...


Come back to me

Bleach Fan Fiction

Icihime one-shoot. Not fluffiness.

**Note:** English is not my native...

**Disclaimer**: The amazing characters of Bleach belong to Kubo Tite! I do not own Bleach. I only own a huge crush on it...

**Setting**: Before canon

It was late in the evening. All was quiet at the Kurosaki Clinic. Ichigo snuggled even deeper in the cozy armchair. He already put his sisters to bed – there father was behind with his paper works as usual and was working late. He was watching his favorite weekly program on TV.

Suddenly the bell rang. Ichigo went to answer the door. He peered out into the darkness, and his eyes widened.

A little girl was on the doorstep. She could be around the same age as he was: 12, but she was such a tiny little thing that she seamed younger. She was wearing her school uniform despite the late hour. And her robe was drenched in blood... Her figure was bent, and she was holding someone's arm, trying to hoist a much bigger body onto her back.

'Please... help!' Tears were running down her cheeks, and all her body was shaking.

'Dad! Come quick!' Ichigo shouted, while he hurried to help the girl support the man's weight. Isshin appeared behind them.

'Oh, my... '

'Are you a Doctor?' the girl's hazel eyes lit up with hope at seeing his white robe. 'My brother! Please, help! A car accident...'

Together Isshin and Ichigo took the unconscious man inside the surgery room. Isshin proceeded to reanimate him right away, while dialing the phone to call an ambulance to take him to a big hospital. He could see right away that there was little he could do with the equipment he had beside stabilizing his predicament.

'Ichigo! Take her out!' He pointed a finger at the girl, who looked like she was in a shock.

'Onii-chan!' she whispered lifting a hand as though wanting to reach the man.

Ichigo steered her gently out. She obeyed him. He sat her down on the sofa.

'Don't worry! I know my father does everything he can...'

She nodded slowly, but her eyes were empty, gazing into nothing. Ichigo found himself unable to leave her alone in such a state, so he sat down beside her and they waited in silence.

'We should call your parents!' he said later.

'… I have nobody but Sora... It's my brother, who's been taking care of me...'

Ichigo suddenly felt his breathing became heavy, as a wave of pity washed over him.

When Isshin finally came back and there eyes met Ichigo knew right away that it was over... Isshin took the girl aside into an other room, so he couldn't hear his words. But he did hear her screams and shouts...

An ambulance came to take her brother's body to the morgue and she held his hand till the end, crying and pleading for him not to leave her alone.

Isshin went to his study to make further arrangements, and to seek for her relatives on the phone. Ichigo remained alone with the girl, who was just standing there crying. He went to her, and held her hand. He wanted to lead her to the sofa again, but she stumbled, and he was just able to catch her before falling. He took her up into his arms and carried her there. She put her arms around his neck, and sobbed into his shoulder, until his shirt was wet with her tears. She wasn't going to let go of him...

Ichigo sat down with her, and continued to hold her close for what felt like hours, until her sobbing finally quieted, and she cried herself into sleep. He wasn't uncomfortable. In fact he was very used to comforting someone like this: Yuzu or Karin would often come over into his bed in the night whenever they felt lonely or sad. Or whenever they remembered there Mom...

When Isshin came in later he found both kids asleep in each others arms, and he saw that there were remains of tears not only on the girls face, but on his son's as well. He looked up to the large poster of his wife on the wall, and addressed her quietly.

'I know I am a doctor, Masaki... but some kind of wounds will just never heal... the wounds of the heart...'

He took up a blanket, and covered the two.

Next day, when Ichigo came home from school he almost bumped into his father in the doorway.

'Hey! Ichigo! Have you seen her? The little girl Orihime?'

An eyebrow lifted up on his scowling face.

'I just arrived home, Idiot! Besides, I thought her relatives were going to take her away..'

'They haven't arrived jet... I made her lunch, but she didn't eat anything, and now she's disappeared!'

Ichigo now had a very strange look on his face.

'I'll go find her.' he said. And throwing his schoolbag at Isshin he turned and was gone.

At first, he didn't know what he wanted to do. It was a big town after all, and she could be anywhere. He only knew he needed to find her fast. An uneasy feeling was taking hold of him... But after some time he realized, that his feet, or rather his heart knew the direction he needed to take. He didn't know how, but that didn't really matter.

He arrived at the town's grate bridge, and saw the girl standing in the middle of it, looking down into the dark water below.

'Hey!' he cried out while running as fast as he could to reach her. She didn't look up, she just continued standing there. Ichigo arrived beside her, clutching his side and panting. After he got his breath back he asked her angrily.

'Why did you ran away like that?'

She didn't even look up. Her eyes were empty, broken. Ichigo knew right away that she was in a dark place right now. A very dark place indeed. He also knew that place... he knew it well... He had to struggle through it all alone. It took him several month of suffering to be able to leave it completely. He couldn't leave her there... He had to do something.

He had to bring her back!

'Hey!' he grabbed her tiny shoulders roughly, and started to shake her. 'You have to come back!'

She made no answer. Then he forced her face up, until her eyes met his and almost shouted into her face.

'Come back to me!'

Her features changed slowly and Ichigo knew she recognized him. He let out a long sigh. Then he smiled at her.

'Come on! I'll take you to your relatives house if you tell me where they live.' He offered her his hand and she took it. They went through the town like this, finally arriving at the address she sputtered out.

An elderly woman opened the door, her aunt. She seamed kind, but distant, not even embracing her niece, and it was clear by her manner of speaking that she rarely had to deal with children before.

'Oh, Orihime-chan, you're here... well do come inside! What a tragedy. You really have it tough by life, don't you? Just what are we going to do about you now?'

As she prepared to go inside, Ichigo asked her.

'Are you going to be all right?'

'Yes, thank you!' She looked at him sincerely and he relaxed.

'Take care!' He was about to leave, when she called out to him.

'Wait!'

He turned back.

'Would you tell me your name please?'

'I'm Ichigo Kurosaki...' He smiled a small smile at her for the last time before running down the street.

She continued looking after him for a long time. Finally she said quietly to herself.

'… Kurosaki... kun!'

And closed the door behind herself.

_Thanks for reading! I would be honored if you could do me the favor of reviewing... Hope it was not too sad... Oh well, I guess I'm just this drama-girl then..._

_Anyway. If you liked this please visit my other Ichihime stories!_


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